1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus provided with a rectangular parallelepiped image read scanner which reads the images in an original on a line-by-line basis in a width direction of the original by coming into close contact with the original, and more particularly to an image reading apparatus in which an image read scanner can be mounted so that its read surface is placed in a predetermined position in order to prevent degradation in the quality of read image data.
2. Description of Related Art
In a facsimile machine which transmits data of various information recorded in an original to the party on the other end of line, an image reading apparatus built in the facsimile machine is used to read the information in the original. As a type of an image sensor mounted on a read section of the image reading apparatus, there has also been known an image read scanner such as a contact image sensor (CIS) and the like which optically reads the image information in an original by making close contact with the original.
The image read scanner is disposed at a midpoint in an original transport path configured by a frame. The scanner can more accurately read the information in the original by making close contact with the original transported into the facsimile machine by a pressing member. In order to allow the image read scanner constructed as above to accurately read the original, it is essential to make the original close contact with the scanner. To achieve this, the image read scanner has to be precisely mounted at a predetermined position in the facsimile machine so that the original may come into close contact with a read surface of the scanner.
Such the image read scanner in the conventional image reading apparatus is secured in a scanner Setting part provided in the frame by screws and the like. The scanner setting part is surrounded by many parts or numbers, thus causing a difficult mounting work of the image read scanner. Accordingly, the mounting work needs the use of a jig to adjust the mounting position of the scanner and therefore requires a long time. When the image read scanner is not precisely set in a predetermined position, the original can not close contact the image read surface of the scanner due to misalignment of the scanner, which causes degradation in the quality of read image data.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances and has an object to overcome the above problems and to provide an image reading apparatus in which an image read scanner can precisely be mounted no that its image read surface is placed in a predetermined position without needing adjustment of the position of the scanner by means of screws, and an original can be made close contact with the image read surface to thereby prevent degradation in the quality of read image data.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve the purpose of the invention, there is provided an image reading apparatus including a frame forming an original transport path for transporting an original having images thereon and an image read scanner having a rectangular parallelepiped shape with a read surface for reading the images on the original, the image read scanner being disposed at a midpoint of the original transport path, the image reading apparatus further including a scanner setting part for holding therein the image read scanner, the scanner setting part being formed in a concave shape perpendicular to the original transport path in the frame, the scanner setting part having a bottom wall and aide walls, a first urging member for urging an opposite surface of the image read scanner to the read surf ace toward the read surf ace side, the first urging member being disposed on the bottom wall of the scanner setting part, and contact members formed in both ends of the scanner setting part, the contact members being made contact with the read surface in both ends of the image read scanner set in the scanner setting part by an urging force of the first urging member.
According to the image reading apparatus of this invention, the first urging member urges the opposite surface to the read surface of the image read scanner toward the read surface which is always in contact with the contact member formed in the both ends of the scanner setting part, so that the image read scanner is fixed in the scanner setting part. Since the image read scanner is always in contact with the contact member formed in the scanner setting part, the contact state-between the read surface of the scanner and the original to be read depends on the position of the contact member. Thus, if only the contact member is disposed at a predetermined position, the contact state between the read surface of the scanner and the original is precisely ensured and the reproducibility of a contact state at exchange of the image read scanner is retained. This can provide image data with a constant excellent quality. In addition, there is no need of the use of screws and the like to adjust the position of the scanner to fix it in the scanner setting part. This can simplify a netting work accordingly.
According to the present invention, there is further provided an image reading apparatus including a frame forming an original transport path for transporting an original having images thereon and an image read scanner having a rectangular parallelepiped shape with a read surface for reading the images on the original, the image read scanner being disposed at a midpoint of the original transport path, the image reading apparatus further including a scanner setting part for holding therein the image read scanner, the scanner setting part being formed in a concave shape perpendicular to the original transport path in the frame, the scanner setting part having a first and a second side walls opposite to each other, a second urging member for urging the first side surface of the image read scanner, the surface being opposite to the first side wall when the scanner is set in the scanner setting part, the second urging member being formed on the first side wall of the scanner setting part, wherein a second side surface of the scanner, opposite to the first side surface, is made contact with the second side wall of the scanner setting part by an urging force of the second urging member.
According to the present invention, there is further provided, an image reading apparatus including a frame forcing an original transport path for transporting an original having images thereon and an image read scanner having a rectangular parallelepiped shape with a read surface for reading the images on the original, the image read scanner being disposed at a midpoint of the original transport path, the image reading apparatus further including, a scanner setting part for holding therein the image read scanner, the scanner setting part being formed in a concave shape perpendicular to the original transport path in the frame, the scanner setting part having a third side wall and a stopper wall opposite to each other, a third urging member for urging the third side surface of the image read scanner, the surface being opposite to the third side wall when the scanner is met in the scanner setting part, the third urging member being disposed on the third side wall of the scanner setting part, wherein a fourth side surface of the scanner, opposite to the third side surface, is made contact with the stopper wall of the scanner setting part by an urging force of the third urging member.
According to the present invention, there is further provided, a facsimile device provided with an image reading apparatus, the image reading apparatus including, a frame forming an original transport path for transporting an original having images thereon, an image read scanner having a rectangular parallelepiped shape with a read surface for reading the images on the original, the image read scanner being disposed at a midpoint of the original transport path, a scanner setting part for holding therein the image read scanner, the scanner setting part being formed in a concave shape perpendicular to the original transport path in the frame, the scanner setting part having a bottom wall and side walls, a first urging member for urging an opposite surface of the scanner to the read surface toward the read surface, the first urging member being disposed on the bottom wall of the scanner setting part, and contact members formed in both ends of the scanner setting:part, the contact members being made contact with the read surface in both ends of the image read scanner set in the scanner setting part by an urging force of the first urging member.